Toilet Tank Decor Ideas That Make Your Bathroom Look Put-Together Leave a comment
Toilet Tank Decor Ideas That Make Your Bathroom Look Put-Together
Let’s be real—decorating the top of your toilet tank probably isn’t the first thing you think about when styling a bathroom. But once you do it, you’ll never leave it bare again. It’s such a small surface, but it makes a huge difference in how pulled together your space looks. Whether you’re working with a tiny powder room or just want to add a little charm to your everyday bathroom, toilet tank decor ideas like these are an easy win.
So if you’ve ever asked yourself, “What do people even put on the back of the toilet?”—this post has all the ideas and inspiration you need to make that blank space look intentional, pretty, and even a little bit functional.
Should You Put Decor on a Toilet Tank?
Yes! Toilet tank decor ideas are one of the easiest ways to elevate your bathroom without doing any kind of makeover. Even just a small potted plant, candle, or a cute decorative jar can completely change the vibe. You don’t need a ton—just a few well-chosen items can make your bathroom feel instantly styled.
What Is the Most Popular Decoration on Top of a Toilet Tank?
Some of the most popular toilet tank decor ideas include faux greenery, candles, small baskets, and simple trays. A lot of people love using apothecary jars for Q-tips or bath salts, and adding a framed quote or print for personality. One of my go-to combos? A candle, a faux plant, and a tray to tie it all together.
What to Place on the Back of a Toilet?
There are tons of practical and pretty options you can style with. A few common toilet tank decor ideas include:
- A rectangular tray with a candle and matches
- A small plant (real or fake)
- Rolled towels or mini jars
- A woven basket filled with bathroom essentials
Just make sure it all feels balanced and isn’t overcrowded. You want it to feel styled, not stuffed.
What to Put on a Toilet Tank Tray?
A tray is the easiest way to instantly organize and beautify your toilet tank. You can place a mix of decorative and functional items inside like:
- Room spray or a bottle of lotion
- A small floral arrangement
- A stack of folded guest towels
- A tiny framed quote or seasonal decor
The tray helps everything look cohesive and keeps items from sliding around. Keep it light, simple, and coordinated with your bathroom’s overall aesthetic.
10 Toilet Tank Decor Ideas That Instantly Style Your Bathroom
Whether you’re going for cozy, modern, or farmhouse-chic, these toilet tank decor ideas prove you don’t need a big budget or a full makeover to make your bathroom feel styled and intentional. Each one of these looks is easy to recreate and guaranteed to make that little area look a lot more put-together.
1. Woven Tray with Greenery and Framed Art
This setup is a perfect example of simple but elevated toilet tank decor. A wide, low-profile woven tray grounds the whole look and adds texture. Inside, there’s a small plant, a framed print, and a candle jar—all items that are easy to find and even easier to style.
Design Tip: Stick to a warm color palette and mix materials (like glass, wicker, and wood) to give your tray some dimension.
Why It Works: It’s compact, neat, and gives that cozy “styled shelf” effect without any shelving. To recreate it, grab a woven tray and fill it with a candle, small vase, and something with height—like framed art or tall flowers.
2. Toilet Tank + Tall Overhead Shelves = Storage Win
This look is perfect for anyone who wants both style and functionality. The toilet tank is styled with a low tray, but the star here is the tall open shelving that frames the space. Each shelf is filled with rolled towels, candles, and baskets, making the space look spa-like.
Design Tip: Use baskets to hide less aesthetic essentials like extra rolls or cleaning wipes. Repeat materials (wood, white ceramics) to keep it cohesive.
Why It Works: It’s ideal for small bathrooms where every inch matters. You can style the toilet tank minimally, then build vertically with shelving to really fill the wall.
3. Wood Tray with Candle and Fern
This one gives off a fresh, earthy vibe. A natural wood tray is centered on the tank and holds a votive candle, small fern, and clear container of Q-tips. It’s practical and pretty.
Design Tip: Always play with height—notice how the fern leaf balances the candle and keeps the eye moving.
How to Recreate: Use a rectangular tray and add one tall leafy item (real or faux), a candle, and something clear like a jar of cotton swabs or bath salts.
4. Minimalist with Floating Shelf Above
This look is super minimal but still feels polished. The toilet tank is left clean and clear, while a small floating shelf above holds just three items: a plant, a rolled towel, and a diffuser.
Design Tip: If you’re skipping decor on the actual tank, use the wall space right above it for a floating shelf. It adds vertical interest without cluttering the space.
Why It Works: Clean, calming, and renter-friendly. It’s a great solution if you want style but don’t want to worry about knocking things over.
5. Farmhouse Shelf Stack + Neutral Tank Styling
This one is so cozy and Pinterest-perfect. The toilet tank has a simple white basket, but the wood shelves above are the real highlight. They’re filled with greenery, jars, a farmhouse sign, and even extra toilet paper in a chic way.
Design Tip: Combine form and function. Use cute containers or wire baskets to store actual bathroom essentials so it all still looks styled.
To Recreate It: Get a farmhouse-style sign, small potted plants, and a white or wire basket for the tank. Add 2–3 wood shelves to complete the look.
6. Jungle-Inspired Toilet Tank Decor Idea with Plants
If you’re a plant lover, this one’s for you. The tank itself is left clean, but the open shelving above is packed with plants—some trailing, some upright, all green and vibrant.
Design Tip: Mix real and faux plants if you’re not ready for the maintenance. Vary pot sizes and shapes to keep it interesting.
Why It Works: The tank doesn’t even need decor here—it’s all about the lush layers above. It gives a spa-like, calming vibe to the room.
7. Earthy Shelves + Layered Toilet Tank Greenery
This look adds a little edge with black bracket shelves and lots of green touches. The toilet tank holds a double planter, and the wall shelves bring in farmhouse quotes, greenery, and decorative jars.
Design Tip: Black accents (like brackets or frames) help ground the decor and give contrast, especially in neutral-toned bathrooms.
How to Recreate: Use small metal brackets with rustic wood shelves, add one or two framed prints, then layer greenery and jars. Style the tank with a low planter that matches the shelf vibe.
8. Organized and Cute Toilet Tank Shelf Setup
This one is a winner for small bathrooms. The tank is left empty, but the floating shelves hold everything: toilet paper, hand towels, soap dispensers, and a funny quote print that gives the space personality.
Design Tip: Add humor to your bathroom with a cheeky sign. It makes guests smile and gives your space a personal touch.
Why It Works: It’s super functional. If your toilet tank is short or narrow, leave it clear and go all-in on vertical storage and decor above.
9. Soft Neutrals with a Woven Toilet Tank Basket
Simple, soft, and so pretty. A neutral woven basket on the tank holds a candle, some floral stems, and a jar of bath salts. Everything’s kept in light, warm tones that blend beautifully with the tiled wall.
Design Tip: Keep your palette soft—beige, ivory, blush, or taupe—and let texture (woven basket, ceramic jars) do the talking.
How to Recreate: Pick a basket or tray with neutral tones, add one floral stem, a small candle, and a neutral-colored accessory like a ceramic bottle or glass jar.
10. Rustic Farmhouse Toilet Tank Decor Idea
This last one mixes rustic and cozy. The tank is left undecorated, but the wooden shelves hold a mix of greenery, metal accents, and cute ceramic jars labeled “Home” for a charming farmhouse feel.
Design Tip: Add personal touches—like labeled jars or framed sayings—to make the space feel intentional and lived-in.
Why It Works: If your toilet tank sits right under a wall, you don’t need to decorate the tank itself. Let the shelving above do all the visual heavy lifting.
11. Classic Black & White Portraits + Textured Basket
This simple yet elegant setup combines timeless black-and-white photo frames with a woven tray and basket. The tall snake plant anchors the space and adds height and greenery.
Design Tip: Keep it classic with personal photos in black frames and match the basket tones for visual consistency.
To Recreate This Look: Use framed vintage or family portraits, a long woven tray for soap and lotion, and a woven floor basket for extra TP.
12. Earthy & Natural with Floating Shelves
Rustic wood shelves, a hanging pothos, framed landscape art, and woven textures create a calming, earthy vibe.
Design Tip: Stick with neutral tones and one pop of green to keep the look cohesive.
To Recreate This Look: Add black metal shelf brackets, woven baskets, and a trailing pothos plant. Finish with a small vintage-style painting or thrifted art piece.
13. Moody Neutrals with Boho Touches
Floating shelves filled with monochrome decor and black-and-white signage give this bathroom a chic and moody aesthetic.
Design Tip: Stick to black, white, and wood to keep the styling unified. Layer signs, vases, and small faux plants for depth.
To Recreate This Look: Grab black floating shelves, modern figurines, mini faux stems, and minimalist word signs for a curated feel.
14. Functional Green & Gray Nook
This compact nook gets a major upgrade with a wall shelf, trailing plant, framed art, and storage for essentials—all in a sleek gray and green palette.
Design Tip: Greenery balances the cool-toned walls and warms the whole space up.
To Recreate This Look: Hang a small shelf with mugs, lotions, or candles, then style with a hanging pothos or faux vine and framed prints.
15. Rustic Ladder Shelf with Stoneware
A leaning ladder shelf above the toilet instantly maximizes vertical space, styled with vases, faux florals, and rolled towels.
Design Tip: Mix matte stoneware with soft greenery for that rustic-luxe look.
To Recreate This Look: Invest in a ladder shelf that fits your space. Decorate with textured vases, dried eucalyptus, and white or neutral-toned linens.
16. Tray of Essentials with a Pop of Aqua
Keep it clean and practical with a wood tray holding tissues, air freshener, and cleaning spray. The aqua mason jar adds a fresh pop of color.
Design Tip: Choose one bold color to pop against neutrals for a cohesive, tidy display.
To Recreate This Look: Use a rectangular wooden tray, a small jar with faux florals, and stack your essentials neatly inside.
17. Patterned Backdrop with Woven Box
This minimalist display features a woven box against a statement tile wall. The neutral tones and subtle green touch make it feel elevated and stylish.
Design Tip: Let the backdrop do the talking—choose simple decor to complement it, not compete with it.
To Recreate This Look: Add peel-and-stick wallpaper behind the tank, then top it with a closed basket for toiletries or feminine products.
18. Bright & Cheerful Floral Stack
A cheerful bouquet in a mason jar sits atop two stacked books, creating a colorful and uplifting toilet tank display.
Design Tip: Color-coordinate your book spines and flowers to create a unified palette.
To Recreate This Look: Choose a bright vase (like teal or pink), fresh or faux florals, and a couple of pretty books from your shelf.
19. Modern Black Metal Shelves with Quotes
This setup combines black metal shelves with framed signs, mini planters, and rolled towels. It’s bold, modern, and easy to replicate.
Design Tip: Keep your storage functional but stylish—roll towels for a spa-like look.
To Recreate This Look: Add two small wall shelves, mini plants, framed typography art, and small white or gray containers.
20. Farmhouse Basket with Greenery & Humor
This adorable basket decor idea layers towels, greenery, a candle, and a funny sign. The textures and mix of items keep it interesting without being cluttered.
Design Tip: Use humor and greenery together to keep things playful but polished.
To Recreate This Look: Get a flat wicker basket, a faux eucalyptus spray, mini towels, and a small decorative sign (Etsy has tons!).
Final Thoughts on Toilet Tank Decor Ideas
Don’t underestimate the impact of decorating your toilet tank—it really ties your bathroom together. Whether you go for a simple tray and candle or a full shelf setup with greenery and art, these toilet tank decor ideas help you create a space that looks intentional and polished. The best part? Most of these looks can be pulled together in under 10 minutes with items you already have at home.
Try These Toilet Tank Decor Ideas in Your Own Bathroom!
Which style do you love most? Let me know in the comments—and don’t forget to save this post for your next bathroom refresh. Sometimes it’s the little spots that make the biggest difference!